Woman arrested for stealing from co-workers in Kansas City

Woman stole from co-workers in U.S. Department of Agriculture

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Kansas woman has been sentenced to two years in federal prison without parole for stealing from her co-workers at a U.S. Department Agriculture office in Kansas City, Mo.

The U.S. Attorney’s office announced in a news release that 50-year-old Paula Steen, of Overland Park, Kan., also was ordered to pay $96,012 in restitution.

Steen, a former IT specialist, pleaded guilty in December. She admitted that stole from her co-workers over a four-year period, including charging $57,693 on credit accounts of a co-worker who is legally blind. Steen also did not repay loans of $48,171 from another co-worker and transferred $16,096 from another co-worker’s credit union account to her creditors and bank account.

She also tried to open a joint credit card account with a co-worker without his authorization.